Fluid-meter.



PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

J. W. LEDOUX.

lFLUID METER.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 11, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

No. 770,297. PATENTBD- SEPT. zo, 1904.

' J. W. LBDoUXt FLUID METER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1903.

N0 MODEL. l 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7g wmszsss.- l l IME/Iron l am gg' A rra/mfr.

'PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904,

' J. w. LEDOUX.

FLUID METER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1l, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SEEET 3.

No M0`DEL.

/NVENTH A TT OHNE Y.

UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT @Erica FLUID-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,297, datedSeptember `20, 1904.

Application filed July 1l, 1903.

T0 all when@ t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LnDoUX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Swarthmore, in the county of Delaware and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain improvements in Fluid-Meters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates tothe measurement of fluids, particularly water,by means of the variation in pressure due to variations in the velocityofiiow; and its primary purpose is to produce improved mechanism adaptedto be regulated to indicate the flow by the resultant pressures due tochanges in velocity or velocity-head.

It being the law that in a conduit having a conically-contracted sectionthe pressure oi' flow at the contracted section is less than at thenormal section, the difference in pressure increasing as the velocityincreases, it is a purpose of' the present invention to determine theiiow by the utilization of such variations in pressure for theregulation ot' the rate oi' indication of an otherwiseregularly-operating register.

It is also a purpose ot' the invention to determine the flow through anopen conduit, an

, struction shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3 represents a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. irepresents amodification of the con- Fig. 5 represents a -furtherembodiment of the invention. Fig. 6 represents a modification of theconstruction shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents a detail view showingthe application of Pitot tubes in the invention. Fig. 8 represents aSerial No. 165,062. (No model.)

ndetail sectional view ot' the dash-pot piston. Fig. 9 represents theapplication of the improvements to the measurement of' iiow through anopen conduit, an orifice, a weir, or a dam.

As shown in the drawings, referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, theconduit 1 has its normal section at 1 and its contracted section at 1brespectively connected by the flexible tubes 2 and 3 with the upper endsof the pressure-reservoirs or mercury-tubes 11 and 5, whose lower endsare connected together by the iiexible tubes 6 and 7 and the stationaryconduit 8. The tubes t and 5 are supported by a cord 9, which passesover a pulley 10, and are balanced by a spring 11, having one endconnected to the tube 11 and the other end fixed to an anchor 12. r1`hepulley 10 is iiXed to an arbor 13, having a cam 141 fixed thereon. Inthe path of the periphery of the cam is a pin 15, adapted to reciprocatein a bearing 16 of a reciprocating guide 17, the pin having a head 15,adapted to be engaged by the bearing 16, and a spring-pressed pawl18,adapted to advance a ratchet-Wheel 19, which is held against retrogrademovement by the springpressed pawl 2O and drives the gear-train 21 of' aregister 22.' The spring 23, having one end connected to the pin 15 andthe other end connected to the guide 17, may be used to aid gravity incarrying' the pin downward through its bearing into contact with theperiphery of' the cam. The guide stem or rod 17 a is adapted toreciprocate in a bearing 24: and is supported by a cord 25, passing overa pulley 26 andengaging a rod or frame 27, which reciprocates instationary bearings 28 and 29, the movement of` the part 27 beinglimited by the engagement of the stops 30 thereon with the stationarybearings. A piston 31, having the passages 31(L therethrough, Fig. 8, isfixed on the lower end oi' the frame and reciprocates in the cylinder ordash-pot 32, by which the movement of the frame and the guide connectedtherewith are regulated and guarded against shock. the trunnions 33 isabuclret 34, having thereon a projection 35, adapted to engage in itsdownward movement a stationary sto p 36, by which Connected with theframe by,

the bucket is tilted. An open-topped tank 37, containing a screen 38, isconnected on one side of the screen by the pipe 39 with the conduit 1,and on the other side of the screen it is provided with the pipe 40,emptying into the bucket, which is filled thereby in a definite period.

It will be understood that the form of clock mechanism may be variedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, it being obviousthat various forms of such mechanisms may be employed for effecting theregular movement of' the register at definite intervals.

As shown in Fig. 3, the tubes 4 and 5 have their upper ends closed toconfine air therein or they may be opened to the atmosphere if made ofsufficient height. Their lower ends are Aconnected by the fiexible tubes6 and 7 with the reservoirs 6a and 7 and the respective reservoirs areconnected by the tubes 2 and 3 with the conduit-sections 1a and 11.

As shown in Fig. 4, the conduit-sections 1a and 1b are connected by thetubes 2 and 3 with the pressure-reservoirs 6b and 7b, containing thediaphragms 6c and 7 c, having the respective pivotal connections 6l and7d with the levers 6e and 7 e, fulcrumed at the pivotal points 6f and71E and connected at the points 6g and 7 f with the cord 9.

As shown in Fig. 5, the conduit 1 has its sections 1 and 1b connectedwith the vertical -pipes 2 and 2b, extending upwardly therefrom andhaving their upper ends connected by the flexible tubes 2 and 3 with themercury or pressure tubes 4 and 5.

As shown in Fig. 6, the lower ends of the pressure-tubes 4 and 5 areconnected by the depending fiexible tubes 6 7.

As shown in Fig. 7, the conduit 1 is tapped by the Pitot tubes 2 and 3',which are respectively turned at right angles to and in the direction ofthe flow.

As shown in Fig. 9, the cord 9 has one end connected with a weight 50,and the other end supports a float 51, the position of' the fioatregulating the position of the pulley 10 and cam 14, by which thedownward movement of the pin'15 is regulated. The iioat 51 is carriedupon the surface of water or other Huid flowing through an open conduit,over a dam, or through a weir 52 or an orifice, such as formed by theweir and the' slide 53. AS the head increases the fioat rises therewithto effeet the indication of the corresponding in- ,I

crease in fiow by increasing the throw of' the pin 15.

It being the law that the pressure of water flowing through the conduitis greater in the tube 2 or 2 than in the tube 3 or 3 and that thedifference in pressure increases with the increase of the velocity offiow through the conduit, it will be understood that the columns ofmercury in the respective tubes 4 and 5 will vary in height and weightinversely as the water-pressure therein, or as the velocity increasesthe mercury will be driven regulated by the position to which the cam isturned, the higher points of the cam being moved under the pin to reducethe downward movement of' the latter with the decreasing flow and thelower points of the cam moved under the pin to increase the downwardmovement with the increasing flow. As the reciprocating guide 16 movesthrough a fixed distance, limited by the stops 28 and 29, the pin 15 andthe pawl 18 are elevated thereby to a fixed point. Hence the variationin the downward movement of the pin varies its throw, thus vvarying thearc through which the ratchet-wheel'19 is advanced and the amountindicated at each stroke by the register 22. As the flow of waterthrough the pipe 40 is induced by a constant head and the bucket 34 isfilled in a definite period, the latter descends at definite or constantintervals to elevate the guide 17 and rod 15, by Which the register isactuated. As the filled bucket descends it is tilted and emptied, to beagain elevated by the weight of the guide 17, righting itself and againbeing filled to reactuate the register. The pin 15, which is elevated atregular intervals by the guide 17, opposesV little or no frictionalresistance to the movement of the cam 14, which is sensitive in itsmovement and free to respond to slight variations in pressure.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in thedetails of construction without departing from the spirit .of myinvention, which contemplates in its leading aspect the use of a by-passor auxiliary conduit connecting sections of a main conduit havingdifferent areas subject to .diierent velocity-heads and employing anindicator for measuring the fiow by means of the variations of orresultant pressure in the by-pass or auxiliary conduit.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A meter comprising anindicating device, mechanism f'or uniformly actuating said indicatingdevice, and mechanism comprising a pair of pressure-reservoirs operatedby varying pressures in a conduit for regulating the rate of' saidindicating device, substantially as specified. n

2. A meter comprising a pair of reservoirs, rectilineally reciprocatedby variations of' pressure therein, means for balancing said reservoirs,a fluid connection between said reservoirs, a conduit, a fluid-passageconnecting each of said reservoirs with said conduit, and

IOO

IIO

indicating mechanism regulated by the movement of the reservoirs to theposition of' equilibrium, substantially as specified.

8. A meter comprising rectilineally-reciprocating tubes, means forbalancing said tubes, a fluid connection between said tubes', mechanismfor communicating pressure to said tubes, and indicating mechanismregulated by the movement of' said tubes, substantially as specified.

4. A meter comprising a pair of pressuretubes, means for balancing saidtubes, a fluidpassage connecting said tubes together, a fluidpassageconnecting each of said tubes with a conduit, an indicator, andmechanism operated by the equilibrating movement of said tubes toregulate the movement of said indicating device, substantially asspecified.

5. A meter comprising a pressure-reservoir connected with a conduit, abalance connected with said reservoir and operated by the pressuretherein, a cam connected with and operated by said balance, anindicating device, and mechanism connecting said indicating device withsaid cam by which said cam effects the regulation of' said indicatingdevice, substantially as specified.

6. Ameter registering mechanism comprising a cam, a reciprocating guide,a pin reciprocating in said guide and adapted to make contact with saidcam, a register, and mechanism by which said pin operates said register,substantially as specified.

7. A meter registering mechanism comprising a cam, a reciprocatingguide, a register, and a reciprocating device operated by said guide andcontrolled by said cam for actuating said register, substantially asspecified.

8. A meter registering mechanism comprising a cam, a reciprocatingguide, a pawl having means adapted to be actuated by said guide andcontrolled by said cam, a ratchet operated by said pawl, and a registeroperated by said ratchet, substantially as specified.

9. A meter comprising a register, a mechanism for operating saidregister, a reciprocating vessel connected with and operating saidmechanism, a receptacle for filling said vessel at a constant rate, saidreceptacle having an overfiow, and mechanism whereby said vessel isemptied when filled, substantially as specified.

10. A meter comprising a tank having an overfiow adapted for maintaininga constant head therein, a reciprocating vessel adapted to be filledfrom said tank at definite intervals, tilting mechanism whereby saidvessel is emptied at definite intervals, mechanism for controlling thereciprocations of' said vessel, and a register connected with andoperated by the reciprocation of said vessel, substantially asspecified.

ll. A meter comprising a register, a pawland-ratchet mechanism foroperating said register, a water-clock actuated by a constant head ofwater for driving said register, and mechanism operated by varyingpressure for regulating the rate of' said register, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereoil I have hereunto set my hand, this 10th day ofJuly, A. D. 1903, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. LEDOUX.

Witnesses:

LIDA C. GRANT, UTLEY E. CRANE, Jr.

